Hi All – I have a couple of questions on a rim/tire setup. I have a MY2013 M Sport on order coming w/ the following setup:

19.0x8, 225/40 R19 Front

19.0x8.5, 255/35 R19 Rear

This gives me a stock diameter of 26.1” for the Front and 26.0” for the Rear.
I was originally thinking of going w the following setup for winter: 18.0x8, 225/45 R18 all the way around (total diameter of 25.9”) as I’ve been told a thinner tire is better for winter driving and non-staggered is also better.

That said, I really want to maintain some level of aesthetic appeal in my winter setup.

So here is what I’m thinking, and please chime in if you can:

I want to go w/ a 18x8.0, 245/40 R18 all the way around (non staggered setup). This would give me a total diameter of 25.7”. I realize this is slightly wider than stock up front, and slightly narrower in the back, but at least it will be non-staggered and I can rotate the tires around.

Here are my questions:

1 – Should I be going w/ an 8.0” or 8.5” sized rim (any issue going w/ a wider rim up front vs. stock)? Added weight? 245 wide tire can fit a 8" rim (8-9.5), so what rim size is best?
2 – Is there any risk of rubbing w/ a 245 tire up front (I’ve seen others do it, so just need to know for sure?)
3 – Any major issues w/ a 245 vs. 225 width setup for winter driving? Any “red flags” (as I can’t see 2 cm added width making that much of a difference).

For 18" winters, I'd go with 225/45/18, don't see what would be better with 245/40/18.

I've seen a few F30 Sports on the road w/ 18s (non staggered) w/ 225 setup all the way around, and the tires are WAAAYYYY too thin from the back. Car doesn't look right. I figured if I go w/ 245, I'd get a much better look that I can stilol rototate. Thoughts?